I will be in France with my wife, 4 yrs old daughter and two years old son for 5 solid days.?

Question

I want to maximise my visit. What to do, see , eat, stay etc.

Answer 1

Paris is a place for people who like to walk.  With a 4 year old and 2 year old I hope you are in great shape and can trundle them around or you will spend a ton of money on cabs.

Besides the obvious, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre there are plenty of other things to see in Paris.  

The main strip is of coarse the Champs Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe on one end and Concord on the other.  Continuing further you run into the smaller Arc.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

Multitude of churches in Paris and most are open for free and worth seeing:

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

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http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

You could go to "La Train Bleu" in the train station Gare de Lyon and see décor that is on par with what you will see if you go to the Louvre, or the Palais at Versailles. (See pics at the link below.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

The old opera is another location where you can see great art for free. You can even enter the building and see a portion of it without paying the entrance fee, not to mention what is outside.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...



One of the cool things about Paris is that around just about every corner there is something new and amazing.

Some of my favorite locations:

Luxembourg Gardens: Make sure you see the Medicis Fountain. The fountain's centerpiece is a Cyclops from Greek Mythology, the scene depicts "Polyphemus Surprising Acis and Galatea." The Girl in this link is his love interest. (First time I saw it I thought the big guy was the girls father. Same fate either way I guess...)

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

When leaving Luxembourg Garden make sure you travel south. The 1/2 mile strip contains a fair number of the thousands of interesting things that make up Paris including one huge fountain.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

Close to that fountain you will be near some of Hemmingway's haunts when he was in Paris. He like to drink at the Dome and La Rotunde. (They are across the street from one another.)

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...



Some people would ask, "Why see a bridge?" But the Pont Alexander III is no ordinary bridge. It is certainly one of the most ornate bridges in the world. Here's a view of one of the bridge and one of the street lights on the bridge.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

Versailles isn't in Paris itself, but it is just outside Paris and easy to get to by underground train. If you go on the weekends when they run the fountains if will cost you a modest entrance fee. The gardens are free during the rest of the week! Some people think the gardens are the best part of Versailles! The fountains are great even when they are not running. The Palace is spectacular but it cost you to enter. You could spend the whole day just in the gardens. Especially if you make the trek to Marie Antionette's "Play Place." Here are a couple of pics of the fountains running. They are incredible.

Apollo: http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

Apollo's Mom Lotone: http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

The Bath of Apollo:

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

The Giant Buried Beneith Mt Etna by Zeus: http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

In case you want to see one Museum, my favorite Museum is Musee d'Orsay. It contains the work of the Impressionists, but so much more. The building is a converted train depot. It will cost a bunch of money to get in.

http://www.vanbeusekom.us/kachelmyer/eur...

Anyway there are a few ideas that go beyond the traditional ones and are cheap.

As for eating, it's hit and miss on the streets.  A couple of the best meals I had in Paris were at local "Tobac's," but I also ran into some where the steak was like cardboard.  I do recommend them only because street cafes are part of the Paris experience.  Stop often at these cafes to rest your legs and use the facilities.  Unfortunately you will not find a favorite since you will never really return to an area more than once in 5 days.  Too much to see.  Oh, if you want to pay big bucks, the Gare du Lyon Cafe mentioned earlier is a wonderful place.

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 2

You can book in a Novotel Hotel where children don't pay when they are in parents' room.

www.novotel.fr

I advice you to stay in Paris center, for example no too far from Opera. From there you can go everywhere....except when there is strike....hope it will be soon finished.

Answer 3

wheeeee

Answer 4

never been there but by all means have fun!!!

Answer 5

Whereabout in France will you be? If it is Paris, you have your answer (see above). Otherwise, it really depends on your location.

Answer 6

sounds boring there is the Eiffel tower,  and some museam, there is a collection of caves underneath the city you can explore...

Answer 7

Disney world?

Answer 8

go to a travel website, and see the best sites for france